MANUAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 51 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (AS AMENDED)

This document is a PAIA Manual published in October 2023 by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), a non-profit law clinic based in Cape Town. The manual outlines the procedures and categories of information available to the public in accordance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), ensuring transparency and the exercise of environmental rights.

• The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is a non-profit organisation and law clinic located in Cape Town that focuses on helping communities protect their constitutional right to a healthy environment through litigation and advocacy for environmental law compliance.
• Certain categories of records are available for free download from the CER website without a formal PAIA request. These include environmental legislation, court judgments, parliamentary replies, key government reports, executive speeches, certain correspondence on environmental law, media releases, the CER's Memorandum of Incorporation, and Annual Reports.
• The CER maintains several categories of internal records in compliance with national legislation, including constitutional documents, corporate governance records, financial records, tax records, and employment records. Additionally, as a law clinic accredited by the Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope, some of its documents are protected by attorney-client privilege.
• To request information under PAIA, a requester must submit Form 2 to the Executive Director and pay a request fee of R140.00 (excluding VAT), unless they are requesting their own personal information. The CER aims to notify the requester of the decision within 30 days.
• The CER specifies various access fees for the reproduction of records, including R2.00 per A4 page for photocopies or printed copies, R40.00 to R60.00 for computer-readable forms (depending on who provides the media), and R24.00 per A4 page for audio transcriptions. Search and preparation fees are R145.00 per hour after the first hour, capped at R435.00.
• The CER may refuse requests for information based on mandatory protections for the privacy of third parties, personal information under POPIA, commercial information of third parties, confidential information protected by agreement, the safety of individuals and property, legal privilege, or if the request is deemed frivolous, vexatious, or an unreasonable diversion of resources.
• The CER does not have internal appeals procedures. Requesters who are refused access may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator using Form 5 or apply to a court within 180 days of the refusal.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2023). MANUAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 51 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (AS AMENDED). https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CER-PAIA-Manual-Oct-2023-1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. MANUAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 51 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (AS AMENDED). 2023. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CER-PAIA-Manual-Oct-2023-1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=MANUAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 51 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (AS AMENDED) |date=October 2023 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CER-PAIA-Manual-Oct-2023-1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2023manual, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{MANUAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 51 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (AS AMENDED)}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CER-PAIA-Manual-Oct-2023-1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }